The following press release was published by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service on March 17. It is reproduced in full below.

In early 17th century Massachusetts, every able-bodied male between 16 and 60 was required to attend militia drill once a month except during the harvest months of July and August. One of the main weapons for European armies at the time was the pike, a wooden pole about 16 feet long with a sharp metal point on the end.

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service